The Fool Of the Void
by GargleBlaster
Summary: The Jester was jubilant, ecstatic, joyful and all assortment of emotions as he looked down at the pink haired lady. He felt the power of Sithis course through her veins. The power of the void. It seemed the Dread Father had use of The Keeper Once more. "Your wish is my command Night Mother."
1. The Silence Has Died

**Authors Note: I can't believe I'm writing another fan fic but this I swear will be the last one. Have you ever experienced that feeling when you're planning your story and somehow another idea for another story infests your mind and prevents you from ever thinking straight. This was one of them. After playing Skyrim again I just had to make a fan fic about dear old Cicero ending up in Halkeginia. If people enjoy this then I might have to update three fics at the same time. That will be tough but if it means pleasing you guys then screw it I'm up for the challenge!**

* * *

"Cicero you fool what is the meaning of this!" The deep voice which reverberated across the dour and bleak interior of the Dawnstar sanctuary was violently unfurled from the mouth of a dark colored man whose head was covered by a brilliant crimson head scarf.

"Why is it not as plain as day sand strider? Its tonight's dinner!" The demented creature was pale and had a mane of hair seeped in red. It was dancing and prancing and jigging and all nouns associated with kinetic jubilation. His entire person was clad in the uniform of a courtly jester, but everyone in the room knew how dangerous he was. Barring the Listener everyone of the people present were a little relieved that someone as demented as Cicero was on their side.

The fool of hearts, the keeper and the annoying harlequin whose voice could shatter glass, all of these were the names of Cicero he who tended to the Night Mother and right now was serving as the chef of tonight's feast.

"No disrespect to you great Listener but unlike Babette and yourself the three of us can't really eat that." The Redguard pointed at the unconscious Dunmer that lay on an over sized platter.

The figure which sat at the far end of the table simply licked his elongated fangs before addressing his coven of killers.

"My friend Cicero, while I appreciate this delectable morsel that you have prepared I am afraid Nazir is right."

"Grendel?"

A tall Nord woman, covered in head to toe with the iconic armor of the Dark Brotherhood shivered as the Listener said her name with a voice as deep as the void and as soft as flesh.

"To be honest your eminence I would prefer to eat a freshly cooked rabbit haunch right now."

"Fenrir?"

A Nord male who was similarly dressed as Grendel merely shifted his weight on his seat which was placed opposite to his female counterpart.

"The last time I had to eat elven flesh was when I was stuck in a blizzard while hunting one of those Altmer bastards and it tasted foul, no offense your greatness."

"None taken and if we were to be technical the Thalmor are different from the Altmer but that doesn't matter in the problem at hand."

Cicero simply bowed his head in shame. He has disappointed the great listener.

"But Cicero was only able to produce this meal! We've ran out of pumpkins, lettuce, eggplants, venison, mackerel, tun-."

"Why not go out and hunt some of Skyrim's wildlife? I doubt a bear would be a challenge to someone capable of going toe to toe with an enraged werewolf and survive with nary a scratch."

"Listener you flatter me!" Cicero beamed and smiled and grinned. He always loved how kind the great Listener was.

"I will go out and make some friends then." Cicero took out his knife and licked it suggestively. It's been too long since he used it.

The jester immediately hurried up the stars and towards the exit of the sanctuary. No dilly-dallying or larking he thought. The Listener needed some meat and he will have it at the double!

"By Sithis his voice is annoying." Fenrir said once he was sure the fool had vacated the premises.

"I like his voice." Grendel interjected.

"You say Patato I say potato."

"Shhh both of you be quiet the prey awakens." A little girl was now preparing her spoon and fork. At first glance she was normal but if one had to look further they would notice how unnaturally orange her eyes were.

"By the eight divines where am I!" The Dunmer's eyes were wide with fear. His pupils' darting here and there before resting on the monster whose finger was on his mouth.

"My family and I are having dinner and you're the main course."

The man wasn't able to scream as the fangs of Glarion the Dovahkiin pierced his neck.

* * *

"That was no fun" Cicero was frowning. Cicero was sad. When he fought the Horker's he would have thought it would have been fun. Cicero would admit that their dying wails were funny but there were not as refined or tantalizing than a mortal screaming. The cries of the dying were one of the many reasons he loved being an assassin for the Dark Brotherhood.

"These big dumb furballs didn't do anything. All Cicero had to do was stab stab stab stab stab and stab. Oh wait I did slash one of them but that didn't connect so it doesn't count." Cicero was now chopping and cutting and harvesting the red meat of the dead animals.

"I miss sending people to the void but that is the price to pay if it means Cicero gets to serve Dread Father Sithis."

Cicero then looked up into the heavens. The sounds of the sea mingling with the night wind.

"I wonder if the Dread Father appreciates poor old Cicero." Cicero then slapped himself silly for questioning the Dread Fathers plans.

"Cicero what dribble is this that you are spouting! Of course great Sithis appreciates us! If he didn't we wouldn't have been made keeper!"

"You are right Cicero you speak the truth."

Cicero was able to finish collecting all the meat he could from the Horker.

Three more to go.

* * *

In a different plane of existence. Far away from the world of Nirn and Mundus lies an alternate reality. That reality contains a planet. That planet contains a continent That continent contains a country. That country will experience a turbulent upheaval that will change the face of Halkgenia forever.

Darkness Rises When Silence Dies.

* * *

"Wonderful it seems all of you managed to successfully summon your familiars." The sun was shining and the wind was cool; all in all it was a nice day for a Spring Time Familiar Ritual.

"You forgot about Zero Professor Colbert!" A young blond teen with stylized ringlets spoke out loud.

"Be quiet Montmorency 'The Flood'!" A young pinkette by the name of Louise fired back.

"My runic name is 'The Fragrance'!" The blonde took great offense and yelled at the snickering pinkette.

"Really? Then why do the servants gossip about how your bed sheet getting drenched every fortnight?" This brought forth a lot of giggles and snickers amongst the second years.

"Hmmph leave it to Zero to trust in the word of a commoner." She raised her nose high as if she had sniffed a horrible smell.

"Enough both of you! You are nobles act like it!" Both Louise and Montmorency turned away from each other. Not wanting to spoil the crisp spring morning by the visions of each other's faces.

Professor Colbert exhaled a tried sigh as he retrained his gaze at the parchment he was holding.

"Miss Valliere it is now your turn."

Louise was nervous, anxious and most of all terrified. She approached the summoning circle with trepidation while her peers whispered amongst themselves.

She knew what they were saying. She would fail, that she will create another explosion. They will be proven wrong.

The summoning circle was now a good inch before her. Her heartbeats quickened and she nervously gulped a big breath of air.

'Great Founder I will take anything. A demon, fool even a lowly murderer but please I plead with my entire heart grant me a familiar! Any Familiar!' Louise prayed in silence as she begun the spell of Call Familiar.

* * *

"I knew Cicero had forgotten something." Cicero was feeling stupid. He should have known the meat of three horkers would have required a backpack at least and so the poor fool had to cradle the large stack of butchered beast like a mother would cradle her baby. If that baby was a large mass of eviscerated, bleeding viscera .

Just as Cicero was about to head back towards home did a strange voice enter his badly screwed in head.

_"My familiar who exists somewhere in the universe!"_

"Who's there!" Cicero turned around and around but the Horker meat obstructed most of his vision.

_"Oh Divine, beautiful and powerful familiar spirit!"_

"Mother….. is that you?" Cicero felt something bubble in his heart. Did the night mother truly contact dear loyal Cicero?

_"I wish and plead from the bottom of my heart!"_

"Yes mother! Anything for you sweet mother!" Cicero howled like a wolf. Pure unbridled excitement was flowing from every pore in his body. The Night Mother was now talking to him! The Night Mother had decided Cicero was now Listener or maybe Co-Listener.

_"Answer my guidance."_

A large green portal opened in front of Cicero. Its green hue faded before turning as black as the void.

Cicero dropped the raw flesh he was carrying, the thoughts of serving the family being overridden by the thoughts of serving dear mother and great Sithis.

"The silence has died." Cicero with the smile born of the highest of ecstasy stepped into the portal without any hint of regret or fear.


	2. The Darkness Is Rising

Louise wasn't surprised in the slightest; after all she was completely inept in magic as her multitude of explosions can attest to.

However what really surprised here was the strange color of the cloud of dust which rolled across the courtyard.

"Zero what in the world did you just do?" A buxom dark skinned red-head asked the question that was stuck on everyone's mind ever since the appearance of the strange purple smoke.

"Ha! Her failures can't even produce the correct color of smoke." Jabs weren't expected to be successful if it was halfheartedly said as Malicorne tried his hardest in faking a laugh. The strange ominous dust was not something that one could easily joke about.

"Mister Colbert is it poisonous?" A blonde boy with an unbuttoned shirt nervously asked their guardian.

The cloud as if answering the young noble's question suddenly began to spread towards the 2nd years as they promptly retreated for fear of their safety.

A very stoic Colbert was now brandishing his staff in a combat pose.

"Miss Tabitha may you kindly blow away this fog?"

A blue haired bespectacled student complied and spoke out a simple dot spell which proved effective as the purple dust cloud was now dissipating.

It didn't take long for Professor Colbert to notice the silhouette that became ever so clearer. Eventually all traces of the strange smog were gone. Which wasn't necessarily a good thing for standing in the middle of the summoning circle was a very odd being.

He looked like a simple commoner; no make that jester for he was dressed like one, but there were a few oddities which made him different from the common fool.

Firstly he had a strange almost frightening Cheshire grin plastered on his face. Secondly he was drenched in blood which alone made it clear he was more than a simple fool.

Some of the students wanted to make jibes about the "commoner" who was to be The Zero's familiar if it weren't for the disheveled gaze that bore into their souls.

"Who are you?" Professor Colbert questioned the enigmatic figure. Making sure his staff was trained on him in case of any hostilities.

The man babbled incoherently. It took some time for the people present to realize the being did not understand them.

Colbert raised his hands in the in the universal gesture for "peace" as he slowly walked towards the man. As he got closer the smell of dead meat was getting more and more intoxicating. A swish of his staff and the casting of a translation spell later did Colbert re-attempt communication.

"Can you understand me now?"

"My you're a mage!" The once breathless students' were now laughing uncontrollably as if a plague had infected them all.

"His voice, by Brimir his voice!"

"Leave it to Zero to summon something so hilarious!"

"Do a little jig jester!"

Louise shrank further and further as the laughing continued to magnify. Her self-loathing and inferiority complex growing exponentially as both fed on the mirthful crackle of her peers.

The fool in question ignored the annoying guffawing and haw-hawing. All that mattered was the short pinkette whose head hanged down dejectedly.

"So you are the mage who summoned me?"

Louise's head bolted upwards to face the object of her shame.

She wanted to shout, call it names, abuse it, hurt it and maybe even kill it. Everyone was mocking her and it was all because of him. She was almost about unleash her anguish, insecurity and hatred at it, but stopped.

She saw its horrendous smile, its dead yellow eyes and the blood which was smeared all over its face. She was a noble, a mage. A mere commoner couldn't possibly be frightening. Yet this thing she summoned terrified her to the core.

"Did you summon me?" Its annoying voice was disappearing. Slowly it was being replaced by something angry, something demonic. Louise remembered her plea to Brimir and slowly felt trepidation at the possibility.

'Did I summon a demon?'

"Y-Yes I summoned you." Louise tried ever so hard to maintain what was left of her noble dignity but it was difficult. Her ankles were shivering and her heart was beating so fast it could burst from her rib cage at any moment.

By now the laughter had died down as the noble children noticed the conversation between the fool and its mistress.

"Y-You aren't mother!" The jester screamed loudly.

"W-what?" Louise was trembling now. Why was he screaming?

"What's wrong sir?" Colbert asked the heart broken Cicero.

"WHERE IS MOTHER?!" Cicero took out his knife and immediately shot towards Louise.

Thankfully the demented fool wasn't able to work his terrible craft as Colbert held the struggling Cicero back with all his might.

"CALM DOWN SIR!" Jean was surprisingly troubled in restraining the mere jester. He was a lot stronger than what met the eye.

"Louise, are you alright?" Kirche was one of the first who was by the shivering pinkette's side.

"H-He tried to kill me** …**.. he tried to kill me." Louise momentarily lost all of her senses as she sat dumbly as her mind failed to comprehend how close death's claws were.

Jean Colbert was a very skilled mage and was no amateur when it came to matters concerning the physical. However Cicero was an assassin who managed to nearly slay a Werewolf with a simple knife. The fool of hearts easily broke through the man's hold and was now mounted on top of Jean as he viciously punched and elbowed and clawed the professor with reckless abandon.

"Somebody do something!" All of Colbert's students' were hesitant to come to his aid and all for different reasons. Kirche, Tabitha and even Guiche were afraid they might further injure the professor if they tried to help. The rest were simply too cowardly and spineless to such a degree that some had the gall or lack of thereof to flee from the scene.

"Familiar!" Cicero looked up from the bleeding and unconscious Colbert. His jaundiced eyes falling on the steeled eyes of a pink haired mage before he was kissed on the lips.

"Pew,ew yuck!" Louise gagged and sputtered as she tried to remove the horrible taste from her mouth.

"Louise what were you thinking!" An incredulous Kirche shouted out. At one hand Louise completely risked her life completing the familiar ritual on a hyper violent commoner; on the other hand the image of Zero kissing a jester was a delicious moment that would forever be burned into her mind.

The jester was now writhing on the ground like an eel. His howling and shrieking a horrible noise to bear but that was not the worst of it. The screaming was replaced by dreadful cachinnation. The fool was laughing and cracking and guffawing.

The crazed lunatic stood up, knife in hand and the cruel twisted smile back on his lips, every mage present aiming their wands at him. The jester then did the unexpected. He bowed down before an anxious Louise.

"Your wish is at my command Night Mother."

* * *

"Where am I?" A drowsy Jean Colbert woke up. His world replaced by pain primarily around his head. The professor slowly touched his face only for his fingers to make contact with something that had the feel of linen.

'Bandages?'

The Professor closed and opened his eyes a few more times before his once hazy sight was now cleared of all impediments.

'Why am I in the infirmary?'

Rows of beds interrupted at sparse intervals by fully drawn curtains dotted the large room. Yet with all of the murals and tables and medical reagents it was quite empty and dark too.

"Excuse me Miss." Jean noticed the woman whose back was facing towards him. He wasn't sure what she was doing.

"Yes Mister Colbert!" Jean immediately reached for a staff that was not there. Realizing he had no magical foci the helpless professor just balled his fist as he stared down the cross-dressed Cicero.

"Why are you here?" Colbert snarled at the Jester and Colbert knew it was the Jester because even though he was wearing the uniform of a nursing maid he still wore his jesting hat.

"I'm here to treat you of course! I felt bad for bruising you so badly so I though servicing you might make things all better!" The madman beamed. On a young teenaged girl it would have been cute, but Cicero was far from teenaged and simply looked creepy.

"What happened after I blacked out?" Colbert was massaging his temples, he wasn't sure if it was age or him being a little rusty but the Flame Snake at his prime wouldn't have been taken down so easily.

"Cicero is no bard or story teller but I shall tell the tale to the best of my ability." Cicero cleared his throat a bit before he started dancing.

"~~~Well there was a fool named Cicero, who was quite the wiry and demented fellow. He was summoned to this strange place and the first thing he did was break a man's face.~~~"

"Enough, I didn't ask you to sing what happened." This was divine punishment. That was the only thing which could explain why this irritating creature was here.

"Fine, Cicero will not sing nor dance." Cicero was very sad; it seemed these people weren't quite receptive towards fools.

"Well Cicero and several of your nice young students brought you here, and then we had to meet this Osmond fellow who gave poor Cicero a good tongue lashing."

'Good Job Headmaster.'

"After all of that Mother and I went to her room where we played a game of 'doggy and master'." The jester smiled and started prancing around Jean Colbert's bed.

"Then mother instructed Cicero to do her laundry, unfortunately Cicero got lost and ended up here." Cicero returned to where he was originally standing and was now holding a large bucket in one hand and a rag on the other.

"Mother?" Jean remembered how the fool was raving about his mother.

"Oh forgive me. Mother doesn't really like it when I call her that. I meant Mistress Louise." Cicero rubbed the back of his head sheepishly for forgetting that particular order as the sounds of a cracking bullwhip echoed in his ears.

"After sneaking through the room so you could sleep peacefully I discovered this uniform and thought 'why not play nursemaids?' now kindly move Mister Colbert, I need to scrub your back."

"W-wait! Hold on!" Mister Colbert was now holding on to his bed sheets as tightly as his grip could allow.

"How do I know you aren't going to stab me in the literal back?!" Cicero was strenuously trying to flip the adamant Colbert over and initiate the scrubbing process.

"That mean old Osmond took away Cicero's knife. Don't worry I'm simply going to clean your mucky,icky back." Paranoia and apprehensiveness were clouding the mind of the former assassin. But against his better judgment and instincts Colbert finally relented and allowed the insane jester to have his way with him.

"Now we need to get rid this shirt and –BY SITHIS THIS IS ATRCOIOUS!" Cicero was screaming at the top of his lungs after relieving Jean of the lined shirt that was covering his upper torso.

"What's wrong?" The uneasy professor wasn't able to speak clearly due to the bed muffling his voice but it still managed to get through and reach Cicero.

"Your back is absolutely filthy! WE MUST CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN!" It was fortunate the bed was drowning any noise the Professor would make. For with Cicero's vigorous and enthusiastically rubbing Colbert's screaming would have awakened everyone.

"Done, all better." Cicero exhaled and rubbed his brow of its sweat. Mister Colbert was now all clean and his shirt had been put back on before Cicero flipped him back on his backside.

"See you later Mister Colbert and oh do you happen to know where I can find the laundry room?" Colbert's eyes were rolled back and his open was hanging open. The pain was blocking any and all of Cicero's talking.

"Never mind, I'll go and search for it myself. Sleep tight Mister Colbert and remember to drink your fluids." Cicero then tucked the Professor in bed, kissed him on the forehead and collected the dirty clothes which he had left on a nearby chair.

Cicero left Mister Colbert in a painful state as he silently screamed.

* * *

"~oh where oh where may I clean my mother's garments. Oh where, oh where must I go~."

Contrary to his upbeat skipping and humming Cicero was not happy at all; in fact he was getting impatient. He had spent hours roaming this place looking for anything to wash his mistress's laundry.

"~~ Oh this place, this place it's like a dammed maze oh dear it's driving me insane. If dear Cicero can't find his way then there will be Oblivion to pay. ~~"

'Rounding another corner again for the 6th time. Truly who ever made this place was unis-.'

"Ooof"

"Ugh"

Cicero was lost in his thoughts hence he was compleately unaware of the young maid that was dusting the busts that were lined in the hall.

"S-sorry I didn't see you there."

The girl was young. That was plain to Cicero's eyes. She had an ample bust and a face which could move even the most hardest of men, give her a few years and she could grow up to be quite the eye candy. Cicero's mind darkened as he thought of how sweet her screaming would sound like.

"It's all right dear though it seems I have lost my hat!" Cicero was palming his head to actuate his hat-lessness.

"Is that your hat Sir?" Siesta quickly noticed the crimson coxcomb resting on the head of the bust she was previously dusting.

"That's quite the coincidence!" Cicero let lose a hearty bellow once he noticed his slumping jester hat.

After Cicero got up and retrieved his hat Siesta promptly bowed as low as she could.

"Forgive me for my transgressions!" She begged.

"No harm no pain, it fact I needed that little oomping. Now what's your name my dear."

"Uhmm Siesta."

"Surely you jest! I've heard many Louises, Guiches and Jeans but I never expected to meet a Siesta!"

"W-well sir I was named by my grand-father who's quite the odd one in my family." Siesta was hurt at how her name was being made fun off.

"Don't be so down young fair Siesta you have unique name. Why it's only the unique names that I bother to remember!" The Jester did a little jig which managed to brighten Siesta's mood and even rouse a giggle from her tired body.

"May I ask your name Sir?" She curtsied most politely.

"My you're a dear aren't you, Cicero's name is Cicero and Cicero is a Jester."

"A jester? Why would a jester dress like one of the infirmaries Matrons and carry a pile of dirty clothes?"

"Oops did I say Jester?" Cicero quickly took away his new hat and hid it in his undergarments. The fool then sucked his lips in and adopted a crocked and hunched posture.

"Why I'm Mistress Astrid and I was sent by my Mistress to wash her underwear." Cicero's accent was flawless as he spoke like a true elder.

Siesta was quick to the jest and giggled at how much fun this Cicero was.

"Why 'Mistress Astrid' I'd be happy to help you wash your Mistresses Laudry. Please follow me."

The kind maid led Cicero to the servant quarters which was a gloomy and depressing place. She then proceeded to enter one of the rooms which contained some washboards and several buckets some empty and some filled with rain or river water.

"Do you know how to use a washboard 'Mistress Astrid'."

A flashback struck Cicero, a flashback that contained a very angry Redguard.

_"By Sithis what did you do to my clothes fool!?" A naked Nazir shouted as he held his now pitch black attire._

_"Well I couldn't find any soup. It seems its non-existent here in Skyrim so Cicero had to make due by creating his own concoction."_

_"You made your own soap?" Nazir was surprised and yet was not, he remembered that Cicero was a former Silencer of course the fool would be quite adept at alchemy in order to make the poisons he needed for his job._

_"Why yes! Quite proud of it in fact! A mixture of Death bell and Nightshade."_

_"That's the ingredients for a poison!" Nazir dropped his cloths as if they were on fire._

_"Relax, I managed to distill and remove most of the impurities. To be honest the Nightshade and Deathbell were added just for the smell."_

_"Never again will I allow you to handle the washing!" Nazir stormed off, looking for anything to shelter his body while he waited for a ship from Stros M'Kai to stop at Dawnstar so he can acquire the unique materials required to stitch himself a new set of clothes._

"To be honest dear I have no inkling of a clue on how to wash clothes."

"That's fine I'll teach you."

What followed was a long conversation which involved Siesta teaching Cicero what he already had a rudimentary knowledge about while she gushed and talked about her dull life and her dull village and how she manged to become a dull maid working in a dull school. When Cicero finally had the chance to talk he went on and on about his exciting life and how it was exciting serve under his new mother.

"You call her Mother?" Siesta questioned.

"Yes. She has been blessed by the great Dread Father! It's really exciting to be able to serve someone as her."

After all the talking was done things became quiet as Siesta pensively thought. With the washing over and the wet linens strung up Cicero had no other reason to stay and so left in order to spend the remainder of his time familiarizing with his surroundings.

"Farewell young sweet Siesta I'll see you next when the sun rises in order retrieve the undergarments." Siesta smiled and waved as Cicero departed and when he was gone she took out and held out a strange amulet that was shaped like a bloody skull.

"Darkness Rises When Silence Dies." Siesta intoned.

* * *

**Authors Note: I think I'm slowly turning Cicero into Skyrim Joker.**


	3. The Keeper in Red

**Authors Note: I HAVE RETURNED ! WITH FULL FORCE !**  
**Disclaimer: Nanana no own Familiar of Zero and Elder Scrolls nah nah I earn nothing.**

* * *

Louise did not know where she was. She was in a large room, a dark room where the only sources of light were several torches lining its walls, flickering as if

they were to go out in any moment.

She saw figures, five of them all wearing hooded black robes and standing in a half circle. Another figure clothed in black leather. The cloaked figure in the middle pulled down his hood; he was not a human for his face was that of a lion.

"Cicero, silencer of the late Speaker Lod, we of the Black Hand by the grace of Sithis name you keeper of our mother." The lion man's voice was like the sound of tumbling gravel.

"T-this is a great honor … but what happens to all of my contracts?" The kneeling man looked up, his voice familiar to Louise.

"I'm afraid you shall never have any contracts ever again until a new listener is chosen. But have no fear; we are not so heartless as to deprive you of one last parting gift. A jester living here in the court of Bravil, I think you know him well."

"Thank you speaker Rasha but it still saddens me I shall never be able to kill for the time being. I shall be off." The kneeling figure stood up and turned.

Louise gasped as she saw the familiar red hair and yellow eyes. Yet unlike the fool named Cicero this man was … handsome. His yellow eyes were golden, his scarlet hair more regal than haggard, his cheeks full and he was not pale as snow. The figure passed through her like a ghost, was Louise really here? Or was she dreaming.

She blinked and everything changed. No longer was she standing in some darkened antechamber worthy of any death cult or villain, now she had found herself in a refreshingly well lit room, a bedroom judging from the large bed and desk.

"Oh, how you laughed and laughed. Until you didn't." Louise heard a familiar voice and turned around slowly and with caution. Already did she regret doing so as bile was about to leave her throat. The handsome man was drenched in blood already making his resemble to Cicero all the more easy. Yet this blood was not dark yellow, no it was still crimson fresh and she knew why. The man, no assassin was cleaning his knife with a rag, probably stolen by the corpse that was lying on his feet. The body was a jester, his clothes not so dissimilar from Cicero's save for the indigo colour, though it was hard to tell if it was indigo for it was drenched in blood. Louise walked apprehensively towards the corpse in order to get a close look and was shaken further by how gruesome his expression was.

"H-he looked like he was laughing." Louise was now traumatized for life. The jester's sheer look of utter joy was not something expected of a death mask.

When Louise saw the cause of death did she finally vomit out her innards … innards, that was not a wise choice of words for the jester's was everywhere.

It was like a wild animal has ripped his intestines, stomach, lungs hell everything inside his torso to shreds.

Louise fell on the dried blood encrusted floor, as her knees were not able to lift her up. She looked at the fleeting form of the assassin who pulled a pillar deeply rooted on one of the walls revealing a hidden passageway. The assassin walked into the darkness casually as if he was having a leisurely stroll through the park, the murder did not bother him at all.

She didn't want to admit it but it was too much of a passing resemblance. The assassin was Cicero her familiar. Her familiar who managed to rip a man to shreds with but a mere kitchen utensil, the sheer mindless brutality and savagery in this murder shook Louise to the core.

'Why?' She thought.

'What would compel, DRIVE anyone into doing this!?' Louise had no answer. She was only a little girl, who had lived her entire life in comfort mindless of the hardships of others, her only concern finding a way to become a mage worthy of her family. Nothing in her mind was able to give a sufficient explanation for this … atrocity.

'Why?How? Who?' Louise didn't know she didn't want to know. She felt by not knowing what would motivate someone to do … THIS to a breathing, thinking person somehow made her feel less dirty, less evil.

* * *

Louise opened her eyes to the first rays of the morning sun, she felt sweat running down her back and drenching her pits. That dream … was it really a dream ?

She rose and took a survey of her room. Everything was in order, everything was in place. She was in her room and thank Brimir for that.

She was about to disembark and ready herself for a new day of studies until she heard a loud sneezing. A chill was running down her spine as her neck turned and her face was locked with Cicero's.

"GACK!" Louise darted backwards and landed on her butt. Cicero was crouching on her bed like a rooster perched on the roof, for who knew how long. She scuttled backwards, and backwards and backwards until her back was pressing against the door.

"What's wrong mistress?" The fool asked innocently.

Silence dominated the tense scene, until Louise finally worked up the courage to ask.

"Who is Rasha?" Cicero scowled; he did not expect to hear that name ever again.

"A coward and charlatan who deserved to die, how did you come across that name?"

Cicero was for the first time not smiling; no, he looked grouchy, like Louise had stirred some bad memories within.

"I-I dreamt of him and four others calling you something …I think it was keeper?" Cicero's smile returned, it was unusually warm, a smile of a grandfather gingerly remembering his glory days.

"So mother has been dreaming of me?"

"I AM NOT YOUR MOTHER!" She screamed, she screamed so hard her vocal cords started to ache. Cicero fell from the bed for he did not expect to hear such answer or to have it backed with such negativity.

"M-mother why are you displeased? Was it something Cicero has done? I had all your washing cleaned and dried right here." Cicero picked up and held several folded pieces of clothes he had collected earlier in the morning.

"Why? Why did you kill that Jester?" She was crying, she did not know why. The jester was no one to her. She would have probably made fun of him as expected from a noble when faced with a jester. No it was the way he died that disgusted her. No one neither peasant nor noble deserved such a fate.

"Why? Well why not?" The pinkette's jaw dropped at how callously he answered her question.

"YOU COMMITTED MURDER!" Louise's voice was wavering. She wasn't used to shouting so loud.

"Murder? No it was a service! The night mother said he needed to die so he died!" He answered cheerfully like a child.

Louise trembled with red hot rage.

"Who … Who is this night mother that dares to judge who lives and who dies on a whim?"

"You are the night mother! And she is you! Both of you are the daughter of the void, of Padomy, of Sithis!"

What? The void? Did the fool just say Louise had some connection to void magic?

"T-that's impossible? I can't possibility have anything do with the void! I-I'm a failure!" She hated this. She hated him. She was weeping now, all of her failures in magic and this demented pyscho killer just another addition to the pile.

Cicero snarled and darted towards her. Louise pressed as hard as she could against the door as Cicero's fearsome face violated her personal space.

"YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE!" He screeched. His dead eyes filled with an almost mesmerizing determination.

"YOU SUMMONED CICERO! SILENCER! MURDERER! ASSASSIN! I HAVE KILLED JARLS AND HEROES! I know what failure looks like and I haven't seen any of it in mother!" His dead eyes were soft now. Almost like a father comforting a child. It disturbed Louise.

"That's just it …I summoned you … a petty murderer … no respected mage would summon someone like you." She was downtrodden now. No use in arguing sooner or later she was going to be kicked out of the academy.

"Respect? Respect is for the weak … for the sheep. You don't see tigers moping because some deer made fun of it; no he kills and eats the mean deer for being so rude! You are better than these simpering simpletons. You are a daughter of the void! I saw it with my own very eyes! Cicero felt his presence!"

"Whose presence?"

"Sithis!"

"Who is this Sithis?"

"Father of the void!" Cicero threw his hands in the air. He felt like an Altmer explaining magic to a rock.

"W-what heresy is this! Only Brimir has ever touched the void!" Louise was beginning to worry now. If her familiar was going to spout this nonsense in public she'd get something more than arranged marriage and a lifetime as a mere housewife, she could be hanged.

"I know nothing of this Brimir, but Cicero knows many things about the Night mother, chosen by the void, herald of its greatness, harbinger of darkness. I feel the power in you Mistress. I feel the potential and how much can be done in Sithis's name!"

"ENOUGH! I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR ANY "NIGHT MOTHER" OR "SITHIS"! BE SILENT ON SUCH MANNERS ELSE I BEAT YOU LIKE A DOG!" Louise's voice had finally cracked and she was panting heavily, already she had used up almost all of her energy and it hasn't even reached midday yet.

Cicero …. didn't look unhappy but wasn't angry either. He sighed heavily, disappointingly, and did a low bow.

"If you wish it Mistress, I will not speak of Father Void or Mother night, but you will hear his call soon and I'll always be ready to tell you of your destiny."

"Good. Fetch me my clothes familiar. It is time for my morning breakfast and lessons.

* * *

Boredom.

It comes so quickly.

When they arrived in class Cicero knew instantly he was no longer in Tamriel. Even the most primitive and backwards of peoples wouldn't have such a simple concept of magic. Five elements? Well at least the void was considered holy, that was a plus. And the part where the mistress blew up almost the entire class? Priceless, Cicero was pleasantly surprised that Sithis's wrath would manifest in such gigantic explosions.

Although what Cicero didn't like were the annoying little vermin. They insulted mother! Belittled his little lady! That fat Malicorne why if Cicero had his way we would have used the horker in human form's blubber in making some nice soap! And that blonde bitch with the hairstyle which could make even a Dunmer laugh in its ridiculousness, oh how Cicero wished to stuff that frog of hers down that throat. But that redguard whore, she was the worst. Cicero could have done so much with her. Skin flayed to make a coat. Eyes gouged and fed to rats, Hair ripped and used in bedding, Fat burned and used in incense, Bones grinded and used as powder. Oh why, oh why did mother put put with such naysayers! Such meanies! Bitches and whores the lot of them! Bitches and whores! With but a single command Cicero could easily address their problem of existing.

"Familiar you can't eat with me, this table is only for nobles." His violent monologue broken Cicero realized he was now in a large spacious hall, a dining hall by the looks of it.

"It is quite all right mistresses. May I go into the kitchen and get the leftovers like a good little dog?!" Cicero was taking it pretty well, the entire 'is a slave in all but name'.

"Yes you may." Louise wasn't minding her familiar at all. She was looking deeply into her soup which had suddenly become the most interesting thing in the entire room. She thought about the events that had transpired in the morning.

_'YOU ARE NOT WORTHLESS.'_ No Louise you are truly worthless, he is a murderer, a demon hiding in a man's skin, do not be tricked by his lies.

Louise was biting her pink hair like she would bite into a loaf of bread. She hated him. He gave her hope. Hope that there was more to Louise 'the Zero', hope that she may be great.

Hope.

She hated hope; it distorted her views, made her naïve. She knew now that hope was the greatest enemy to any great mage, and yet …

_'YOU SUMMONED CICERO! SILENCER! MURDERER! ASSASSIN! I HAVE KILLED JARLS AND HEROES!'_

She had no idea what a Jarl was, but heroes like the princess and her mother she knew well. Louise couldn't deny it, but something about the demented fool was dangerous, it wouldn't be that unbelievable that he could and had killed heroes.

'He isn't manticore or a griffin but I fear he could potentially be more dangerous than both combined.'

Soup was not something which was noteworthy. Yet Louise right now lost in her thoughts was finding it the most interesting thing in the world.

"Louise are you okay?" Louise looked up from the interesting soup and scowled at the face which assaulted her eye sight.

"Leave me be Kirche." Unlike most days Louise was not able to maintain anything louder than a whisper.

She did not like Kirche and Kirche didn't like her. Seeing the Germanian willingly seat with her wasn't improving her day.

"I was right you were screaming." Kirche … she …she looked distressed … worried, she was giving Louise pitying look.

"I-I don't need your pity Zerbst!" The pinnkette coughed and hacked as she further strained her throat.

"Pity? To a Zero like you?"

Louise immediately glared at her with cold fury.

"S-sorry that's become a bit a habit. Look Zer- Valliere I know we aren't the best of friends but I managed to overhear your conversation with your familiar."

"Typical Germainian, always eavesdropping."

"Louise I'm serious ! I-I don't know what you saw but we both can agree your familiar is dangerous I just don't want anything bad to happen to my favorite midget rival."

"Rival? What's use of a rival who can't do magic?"

"Can't do magic?" Kirche smiled like a cat.

"Louise for being so petite your skull's pretty dense. Look I doubt any normal commoner is able to make explosions like you do. You're a failure at casting spells but not magic."

"I-I'm confused, you're one of the first people to make fun of me when I fail."

"Yeah I am… and … I'm sorry." Louise closely scrutinized her most hated rival, and was surprised to see she was completely serious.

"Look I didn't know me making fun of you was that terrible and for that I apologize. I honestly enjoy your company Valliere, even though you may come of a pretentious and at times stuffy you're honestly the only person I can have a normal conversation with."

Before Louise could even think of a response Kirche quickly got up and left.

"Well see you Louise. If you have any problems you know who to talk to." She smiled, it wasn't the typical 'I'm better than you and you know it' smile … it was a genuinely friendly and concerned smile.

Louise was left confused, befuddled and completely dumbstruck. Zer-Kirche was actually secretly nice?

Louise observed Kirche as she sat down with that girl Tabitha. Just because she apologized didn't mean Louise was going to greet her with open arms.

Still Louise smiled … Even if it was another of Kirche's pranks she at least had the memory of Zerbst apologizing to her.

* * *

"Serious?" the blue haired girl Tabitha was reading intently on her book which provided an extensive study on the lethality of Tristain's most poisonous fauna.

"M-more than anything." Kirche swallowed a big breath of air.

"Hesitation. Not like you."

"I … I just don't want anything happening to Louise. I mean her familiar managed to send Professor Colbert to the infirmary. I just can't let anything happening to that annoying pink haired midget."

"Harbor feelings?"

"Ew! I'm not that kind of girl Tabitha! It's just … only now I realize how fragile Louise can be."

Kirche looked at her piece of half eaten bread and was taken by the peculiar bite mark on it. She remembered when she had awaken to the sounds of screaming. Her room was just across from Louise's and she couldn't help but drop in on their conversation.

She was never expecting so much to happen.

Louise hated herself; her familiar was a murderer and that thing about the void. Kirche couldn't help but imagine what was on Louise's mind. Was she scared, anxious, upset? Kirche took a peek at the young pinkette who was sitting alone contemplating on the nature of purees and veloutes.

"She looks so alone." Zerbst said sadly.

A loud crashed interrupted the bustling hallway followed by a girlish shriek.

"MY UNIFORM!"

Kirche turned her head like all the other students towards the source of the noise.

"I-Im sorry mi'lady it wa-" Siesta the maid was not able to finish as Montmorency gave her a powerful smack.

"DO NOT SPEAK OUT OF TURN PEASANT!DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THIS UNIFORM COSTS ? IT WOULD TAKE FIVE YEARS FOR YOU TO EVEN EARN A QUARTER OF ITS PRICE!"

"P-please it was an accident!" Siesta was in tears, this wasn't happening, this couldn't be happening.

"Oh an accident? Well I suppose I can also accidentally let slip to some of the teachers about how horrible a servant you are." Her thin smile was ugly, her posture filled with arrogance. It was a look Cicero had seen in many a monarch before their throats were slit.

Yet unlike Cicero who was taking all of this with a blissful smile Siesta's face was set in stone. This was not surprising, she knew that one day somehow she would screw up and some noble with a chip on their shoulder would eventually kick her out of the school. Might as well take it all with a little bit of dignity.

"If I may interject."

"Who are you to butt in our conversation jester. Just run along and play with your failure of a mi-"

Like a bolt of red lighting Cicero immediately relived Montmorency of her familiar and was now trying his hardest in ramming it down her throat. Guiche, her boyfriend immediately came to her rescue, summoning a bronze blade and stabbing it into where Cicero was, but alas the fool of hearts was simply too quick for the boy.

Cicero prowled around the boy who was helping his lover back to her feet.

"Are you okay my sweet" He asked with concern.

"Robbin I think he might have hurt robbin." She croaked out as she comforted her terrified familiar.

"You jester! How dare you to such a thing to my beloved! For besmirching my maidens honor so I challenge you to a duel !"

"A duel ? What fun! Where to bronze blade?" He smiled with a sickening glee; Guiche must have had a short memory span if he did not remember what happened to Colbert.

"The Vestri Court."

"But Guiche duel's aren't allowed. "

"Between Nobles." Tabitha butted in much to Kirche's shock.

"Challenge accepted! See you soon!" Guiche tenderly helped his tender rose to her feet, leading her to the infirmary before going to the Vestri court. The crowd which had gathered finally dispersing, the only people remaining being Louise and Siesta.

"Sir Cicero I'm teri-"

"Cicero? Who is this Cicero? There is only Mistress Astrid! Cicero is off to educate a huffed up ignorant swine and its mate on how to better treat mother!" Before Cicero could walk past, Louise using her minuscule frame blocked his passage.

"No, no, no, don't do this to me familiar please you'll –"

"Die?"

Louise gulped.

"Mistress I have killed mages grander than this fop, I have killed skeevers more ferocious than him. Worry not." Cicero dismissed.

"B-but even if you win which I doubt I don't want you to kill him." She begged

"Please mistress look at me. Shall I kill him with my fists? No! I shall merely teach him a lesson." Cicero was sober, he didn't smile nor frown. His face was like porcelain. She remembered this face. This was the face of the man who killed the jester.

As Cicero walked away leaving a concerned Louise and Siesta, both in silent agreement decided to follow.


	4. The Speaker in Shadow

**Authors Note: Constructive Criticism is welcome.**  
**Disclamier: I own neither Skyrim nor Familiar of Zero both are properties of their respective owners and blah blah no money making here.**

* * *

The throng of students that had gathered in the Vestri Court was restless, it had been 20 minutes since the duel was announced and there was not a single sign of Zero's familiar. Guiche was stooping and rubbing the gathering sweat on his brow with a laced silk handkerchief. He initially was standing tall and proud waiting for his opponent, but he should've known Louise's jester was too cowardly to show his face.

Just before he was about to leave and proclaim the cowardice of Louise did her familiar finally show up along with his master and the maid who was the cause of this entire farce.

"Well, well you sure took your time, having second thoughts?" Guiche smug face needed a good punch.

"Got lost bronze blade, no need to look like you're constipating" The Jester countered with a jibe which was actually pretty funny judging by the whispered snickers which only served to annoy Guiche.

"You know you can stop this if you just groveled before my feet Louise and apologized." Guiche turned his head towards Louise who was standing in front of the crowd some distance behind Cicero.

Louise was thinking, her familiar couldn't possibly defeat a mage could he? I mean the only thing he had killed was a silly jester.

Cicero was now looking into her eyes, his mouth in a manic smile waiting for the order to unleash havoc. Louise shuddered as she saw his rotted teeth. The creature named Cicero excluded an aura of sheer intimidation and madness. By just being near his presence Louise felt a sickness in her stomach. No this needed to continue; no matter if Cicero were to die she needed to know what he can do.

"You've got it the other way around Guiche. It's you who should be groveling." Louise blurted out unintentionally, she wasn't able to correct herself before an angered Guiche spat out a spell.

He waved his rose adorned wand like a composer would when enacting a grand symphony. A single petal fell from the rose and landed on the ground, a shape rose from the now crumbling ground. A shape which looked like a suit of armor fashioned for a female warrior.

"Behold my Valkyrie, peasant. Be awed for few have ever faced it and survive without any broken bones. It shall be the one who will punish you and your failure of a master. "Guiche like an overpaid actor boasted which only served to dig his grave deeper.

Cicero just stood, still like his bronze opponent. No one moved and the preceding quiet was almost serene. Guiche furrowed his bow in equal amounts impatience and concentration. Of course the familiar had no weapons and couldn't possibly harm his Valkyrie. Yet he remembered the ravaged face of Professor Colbert and mentally noted to keep a sword spell at the tip of his tongue. He needed to make sure the nutty jester was as far away from his person as possible while making sure his Valkyrie was relentless in its attack.

Surrounding them the students who've come to watch the jesters comeuppance where quietly betting on who would win. The odds were 2 to 67 with Guiche being the most favored.

Louise was silent as the rest of them. However within her mindscape she was screaming at the top of her lungs for either side to do something. She hated suspense, hated to wait for the moment when her familiar would fall and Guiche to rub his victory on her face. She just wanted this entire thing to end.

"Nervous are we Louise?" Louise turned her head sharply and met her rival who was studying the battlefield intently.

"O-of course not Zerbst for I am the epitome of calm." Louise fibbed.

"Yeah, yeah and I'm going to be the empress of Germania. Look for some reason Tabitha baited Guiche, I asked her why and she said she wanted to see what your mentally unhinged familiar can do." Louise looked back to take a glance at the blue haired girl who was the subject of this conversation, the gaps within the bodies of students where enough to allow Louise to notice something odd. The girl for the first time wasn't reading a book, she like everyone else was intently looking upon the site of the duel. How she was able to considering how short she was didn't register in Louise's nerve wracked mind.

"I-I think the nice familiar will be fine." Louise and Kirche both stared at the maid who was holding a very morbid skull amulet like it was the most important thing in the world.

"What makes you say that?" Kirche asked curiously.

"There's something about him which just screams unbeatable, don't you agree Miss Valliere." Louise blinked as the maid addressed her. She wanted to reprimand the peasant for speaking out of turn but was too anxious to do anything, the maid was right. Cicero seemed so unflappable that one can believe he can take on a dragon.

"WILL YOU GE-" Cicero darted with immense speed, cutting off Guiche before he could finish his order. The boy was frantically waving his wand and puppetering his Valkyrie to get itself between Cicero and himself.

Cicero wasn't changing course and was basically just charging towards the stalwart bronze warrior. The golem swaged its blade sideways when Cicero was close enough, resulting in a nasty gnash on Cicero's torso. The wound wasn't that life threatening even though it was bleeding quite profusely. Yet Cicero crumpled like a marionette whose strings where cut off. He was still as he laid on the dirt, pretending to be heavily wounded or dead only the demented creature knew.

There were gasps and screams of murder. Guiche himself was starting to turn pale as he realized what he had done.

Before Louise could lament for her late familiar she felt a cold clammy hand clamped on her shoulder.

The small bluentte betrayed no emotion as she scanned the "corpse" of Cicero.

"Still alive. Playing Dead." Kirche, Louise and Siesta returned their gazes towards Cicero. Now rising like a zombie from its grave.

Guiche was both relieved and annoyed as the familiar stood firm. One hand clutching his wound, the other was ….. casting magic.

Guiche and everyone else couldn't believe their eyes as a corona of cyan energy appeared above his left hand. The cyan sphere ebbed and glowed every second.

Cicero with his now recognizable maniac smile laughed like a demon who had escaped from the pits of hell.

"NOW YOU DIE!" The ball of energy glowed like a supernova before disappearing, along with Cicero for footprints where the only evidence he had even stood there.

Cicero casting magic took everyone by surprise; Guiche quickly took advantage of this and started to mock Louise.

"Ha! A familiar who knows more magic than his mistress what a laugh! And it seems he had teleported to parts unknown."

"Guiche" Tabitha spoke in a loud whisper which surprised Kirche who was not used to such a thing. Even at her loudest it was barely able to reach the boys ears.

Guiche looked at the blue haired girl; his eyes squinted for she was doing something with her hand.

"Run" She said even louder. Guiche did not understand the girl's statement until he followed where her finger was pointing.

Approaching Guiche with frightening speed, and managing to bypass Guiche's Valkyrie, were footprints.

Guiche only managed to let out a gasp of shock as Cicero reappeared and lunged for Guiche's throat.

Guiche fell on the ground and raised his arms to protect his face.

"I yield, I yield!" His pleas fell on deaf ears as Cicero raised his hand for the first vicious punch in the ruthless barrage of strikes he was planning to inflict.

"Cicero stop!" The jester froze. He turned like a ballerina in a music box as he faced his mistress who said his name.

"You said Cicero's name." Cicero giggled. He removed himself from Guiche's quivering form.

"You said my name!" Cicero was jigging and dancing as he squealed. This was a good day! He thought.

Guiche immediately got up and ran towards the protection of his friends. As he approached the circumference of students many of them were running away from him, seeing him as bait for the magical jester.

Guiche's stomach fell as he saw two figures. Both crying, one was his love Montmorency, the other a brunette. Both looked at Guiche with disappointment on their tear stained eyes. Both walked away leaving Guiche to himself.

The students started to disperse, some with pity in their eyes others with smug grins which were a reflection of Guiche's own. His stomach sank as he realized the embarrassment that had been dealt to him. Guiche turned back and with eyes alight with rage searched for the jester who dealt this humiliation on him. He saw him by Zero his mistress, they were talking to a teacher. The man was listening to their tale of the events and then both as one pointed at Guiche who just stood dumbfounded. The bearded man walked towards the confused boy.

"Guiche of the Gramonts, you need to come with me." This was not going to be the end of Guiche's troubles. Oh no it was to be the beginning.

* * *

"Your familiar had stirred quite the scene Miss Valliere." Principal Osmond sucked on his pipe and exhaled out a cloud of nicotine. Louise was fidgeting on her seat. Her familiar was oddly calm, preferring to stand than sit. When that teacher first came Louise didn't know what to feel. On one hand her familiar managed to beat Guiche who was the son of the illustrious General Gramont. On the other hand her familiar knew how to cast magic, shouldn't she feel upset that her familiar was a more successful mage than her?

Then she was reminded by Kirche's talk with her in the morning. So much has happened in just one day. Her familiar said so many wondrous yet frightening things. An assassin who worked for something called Sithis father of the void. Blasphemy, it was just utter garbage. Yet according to the church, nobles were the chosen of Brimir no mere commoner could beat them and all magic users were nobles. The prospect of Cicero being a noble was farfetched. Cicero before whatever broke his mind was regal and handsome, sporting features one would find in a noble. Yet she'd doubt any noble family would foster such a demented killer. Maybe he was a bastard or a disgraced son.

"First things first, Miss Longueville can you please leave us?" The green haired secretary was surprised by the abrupt order, but quietly complied. Opening the door of the principal's office and leaving.

Osmond then waved his hand and spoke a string of arcane syllables.

"A silence spell, this ensures we have are privacy." Louise was starting to notice how everything became a lot more dark and heavy, even though it was afternoon there was such a suffocating atmosphere that Louise felt she needed a change of clothes due to the amount of sweat she was secreting.

"What an interesting specimen you are familiar, you can cast magic, able to overcome my teachers and if I hadn't known any better you seem to be a capable killer." Osmond took one last puff of smoke before putting down his pipe on his oaken table

"Tell me where are you come from?"

"Someplace far from here bearded man." Cicero flippantly said, not caring he was having a conversation with one of Tristains most foremost mages.

"Familiar please show resp-"

"It's quite all right Miss Louise" Osmond waved his hand.

"Tell me familiar are you from this world? " Osman questioned from nowhere.

"No."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Maybe, should I though? Should Cicero tell him where I hail from mistress?" Cicero turned to Louise who was trying to find some sense in all of this.

"Uhm, yes." Louise finally ordered.

"Very well, I hail from Tamriel. Keeper of the Dark brotherhood was I before being called by Sithis to serve my new mistress."

"Hear that Colbert?" From out of the shadows Colbert stepped forward. His face bandaged due to the beating he received from Cicero. His sudden presence caught Louise off guard. Was he hiding behind them all this time?

"Took you a while professor. You're quite the dramatic one." Cicero sneered. It seemed he was fully aware of the professor being here.

"Tell me Louise have you heard of the Dark brotherhood?" Colbert asked. Cicero's ears perked up while Louise started to have dreams of a dark chamber and a bloody assassin.

"N-never heard of it." It was an obvious lie, a lie that Colbert and Osmond were fooled by or uncaring of.

"What of the Void Brotherhood?" Louise heart skipped a beat at the mention of the dreaded name.

"M-my mother spoke of them once as a bedtime tale. They were an order of heretics who claimed their founder was the fifth familiar of Brimir and served a being greater than the founder." Louise said. She remembered the few times her mother would say bedtime stories to her. A time before she was a failure before her mother grew cold and distant. How she missed those days.

"Right you are Miss Valliere; the name of this familiar was Joordalfr, the ear of god." Colbert finished.

"H-how do you know the name of some obscure heretic Professor?" Louise felt a sinking suspicion that something was wrong. The portraits that adorned the walls looked like they were laughing, the furniture seemed dark and twisted and the shadows were getting darker and longer. Louise didn't feel fine. She felt sick. Why, why was this happening to her?

"My Professor I had no idea you and I served the same father" Cicero did not expect this. The man he had harmed was a fellow servant of Sithis.

"Headmaster Osmond just what in Brimirs is going on?" Louise stood up and slowly walked towards the door only for Colbert to block her escape.

"I'm afraid you can't leave just yet Miss Valleire." Colbert said with a deep and monotone voice while eyeing her familiar.

"How did you know?" Colbert asked the lunatic.

"That tattoo on your back, small and tiny you expected Cicero's keen eyes would not spy the form of a black hand." Cicero was grinning, this was fate, Sithis willed all of this. This was no coincidence there was a reason his mistress attended this school.

"What was your position in this Void Brotherhood?" The jester asked.

"I was known as the Flame Snake. I was a former Silencer, my master long dead. I fled the brotherhood hoping to atone for my mistakes. The brotherhood was destroyed decades ago." Jean explained.

"The Brotherhood can't be destroyed." If Cicero grinned any longer his facial muscles will tear.

"Isn't that right Osmond?" All eyes turned towards the headmaster who resumed smoking his pipe.

"What's he on about Headmaster?" Jean was confused the brotherhood WAS destroyed. The pope was to thank for that.

"I have no idea." Osmond calmly said yet it was the way he said it that was wrong. It sounded as if he was feigning ignorance, like a child who was caught red handed in a prank and yet spoke of his innocence as if -

Jean's eyes widened as he trained his staff with deadly intent at the headmaster.

"Professor what are you doing!?" Louise shrieked as Jean shielded her from both Cicero and Osmond.

"I thought I was paranoid, but I was right!" Jean snarled with fury at the deception played against him.

"Look at what you did familiar you scared him." Osmond chuckled as he petted his own familiar, a white mouse.

"Tell my Osmond what was it I said that got your subordinate so hot and bothered." Cicero was coyly playing along with the headmaster.

"Your runic name Osmond, it was staring right at my face! Your damned runic name!" Jean was screaming. For years he had worked diligently under Osmond. Thinking the man was just that. A bumbling old fool who had his sporadic bursts of competence. He didn't think his runic name had anything to do with the Brotherhood but oh how wrong he was.

"Calm down professor. Here have a puff of my pipe." Osmond offered. Jean however was not letting him out of his sight or putting down his staff.

"Fine then, excuse me for not introducing myself earlier familiar. " Osmond turned towards Cicero who had proven to be quite the perfect listener. The old man stood, bowed and proclaimed out loud.

"My name is Osmond Francoise De Devailier. My runic name is Osmond "The Speaker". Welcome to Tristain's Academy of Magic, also known as the Tristain sanctuary. The brotherhood welcomes you great Listener and you Mistress Louise our Night Mother." Osmond smiled. A cruel and cold smile, decades spent hiding made revealing his greatest trick all the sweeter.

* * *

**Next Time on Fool of the Void: Chapter 4-The Brotherhood Shall Rise Again.**


	5. Side Chapter: A Mother's Sacrament

**Authors Note: My next chapter MIGHT take some time to finish up so here's a little side chapter as an appetizer. Anyone with questions about the setting, characters and anything that isn't considered a spoiler should PM me.**  
**  
Disclaimer: Non non non I own not Familiar of Zero nor Skyirm Nien Nien Nien they are the respective properties of their creators, this is a non-profit venture.**

* * *

She was ready.

Months, weeks and hours she wasted upon tomes born from the darkest of times, books so heinous that if she were found possessing them she would be expelled from her noble family and hanged as a witch and heretic. So of course she was careful, whenever her mother would question why she would miss meals she would reply of her progress in research of great importance and it was to be resolved with utmost urgency. Of course her mother was no fool but technically she did not lie. This was important to her, more important than anything. Whenever her father asked upon her progress she would reply most enthusiastically on how things were going well.

She made sure that the effigy was complete; she wasted much coin on the grave keeper who provided her the needed bones, on the back alley doctor who provided her the heart, flesh and other morbid reagents required for the ritual.

The candles that surrounded the effigy were made from the fabled black wax of Basille the infamous murder province of Gallia.

She looked at the flask that she held with her hands and poured it over the dagger that rested on her table. Normally it would be covered with mountains of grimores and scrolls but now it was empty and had been cleared, all her scrolls and books now on her bed. The only items present other than the dagger where a motor and pestle along with purple petals plucked from the plant of death, nightshade.

She held the now poisoned dagger and hesitated. What would her sister think right now? She was always snooping, always asking why her room was locked and she never ate at the dinner table, asking why did her room smell of death or why did she look so haggard at the sparse times she would leave. The woman then cried, tears now staining the dagger along with poison.

She needed to do this, she had no choice. The comte de Bourgogne was a boring man who deserved the abuses she inflicted, but his brother.

The lady shivered. His brother was so alluring, a handsome young strapping man with an intelligence which rivaled hers. Oh how he seduced her, played her like a flute. Oh how she laid with him in his bed chambers. If only she knew before how much of a viper he was! She didn't know what to do.

He had every advantage. He had proof that he had claimed her purity. If she didn't follow his desires he would reveal to the world of how much of a whore she was. She couldn't let that happen. She didn't want her family to suffer because of her mistakes.

And now here she was, undertaking some obscure ritual, a mere game which children used to scare each other with. Here she was enacting blasphemy upon holy Brimir by invoking those who defied his will.

But desperation was a powerful thing. She needed to do this.

She knelt by the effigy's side and stabbed furiously into the dead heart located within the rib cage and uttered with a whisper, in equal parts despair and rage.

"Sweet Mother, sweet Mother, send your child unto me, for the sins of the unworthy must be baptized in blood and fear." Éléonore de La Vallière uttered again and again. That man needed to die. The Valliere name will not be dragged into the mud._  
_


	6. The Brotherhood Shall Rise Again

- 1 hour ago-

Cicero stood silently over his slumbering mother. She was thrashing, teeth gnashing and sweet dripping. It looked like dear mother was having a bad dream. The events of today sure did a toll on his fragile mother. So many moments where she was on the verge of tears, Cicero often had wondered if Sithis was correct in choosing such a fragile servant.

'Oh fiddlesticks I again doubt the father's ways.' Cicero knocked his cranium for thinking such silly and blasphemous thoughts. Of course Sithis knew what he was doing.

Cicero was about to retire to sleep as well when his mother started floating. As in she was defying gravity by floating above her bed. Her eyes then opened and they were alight with neon pink.

'What?' Cicero was not able to voice his confusions when Louise spoke. A voice of an ancient darkness along with a thousand other voices of varying genders and ages echoed from the pinkettes lips. Cicero's heart froze and he almost lost his balance when he kneeled in deference to his mother.

"_Listener, someone has called great Padomy by enacting the black sacrament. The childs name is Éléonore de La Vallière, my sister. She lives in my family estate. Seek speaker Osmond and tell him this but not before informing Keeper Seista the binding words. When night turns Sanguine the brotherhood shall rise again." _Louise then fell on her bed, looking more comfortable and slept like a baby; it appears she wasn't aware of what just happened. Cicero however was just trembling and shivering in his kneeling form. He had been called. He truly was the Listener of this new world. He jettisoned as fast as he can to Headmaster Osmond or the Speaker as he loved to call himself.

* * *

-5 hours ago-

"For an assassin you sure are grandiose Osmond." Colbert was quiet. To some it would seem he was calm but to experienced killers like Osmond and Cicero it was but a simple veneer that hid a well of intense hate. It seemed the Flame Snake was not amused at being played.

"Well it's been so long since I was able to undertake my duties as Speaker, so excuse me if my enthusiasm to resume my true work is a little hamfisted."

Osmonds office was inches away from turning into a warzone. On one side was Colbert, stiff and strong, his knucles turning white as he held tightly onto his staff. Louise was standing behind him, not daring to speak a word for fear of igniting a fire that would not burn out. Osmond was standing, his slackened muscles and relaxed posture telegraphed a man who knew nothing of combat, yet the old man already in his mind had gone through ten different ways of killing Colbert without resorting to magic in just a single heartbeat. Cicero was the only person who remained on his chair, fiddling with a strange statue shaped like a hand grasping for something.

"I will not let you use Louise for whatever evil purpose you have cooked up for her Osmond." Jean growled.

"Evil? You truly have strayed from the path Jean if you think of such concepts. Good and evil? There are no such things there is only death, suffering, love and all those other emotions. Good and evil are merely social constructs enforced by humans. You don't feel evil don't you Jean, only guilt." Osmond was playing with his beard, like a teacher giving sagely wisdom to a student.

"Don't give me that annoying above good and evil speech Osmond! I know you don't believe in that. You and all of your demented colleagues enjoy it, the power and the killing." Throughout all of this Jean was maintaining a voice slightly louder than a whisper. To Louise it sounded infinitely more frightening than shouting.

"I know nothing of this Void Brotherhood." Cicero placed the statue back at Osmonds table, stood and faced a still hostile Jean, his yellow insane eyes a contrast to Colbert's cold brown ones.

"But of the Dark Brotherhood I know many and I know that all who join, sisters and brothers alike, all are destined. The brotherhood is a coven of killers, monsters, rapists and ravagers. Not once have I heard of a member who had defected simply because he felt remorse. We do not feel remorse. We are all animals in the inside right Colbert?" Cicero in one step bridged the gap between himself and Colbert and was now in spitting distance of the man.

"You feel it inside of you, the gnawing beast that cries for death and blood. Don't you Colbert?" Cicero smiled once he saw Colberts façade crack.

"Yes. I admit I am unable to atone for my sins. For it still lurks inside. This twisted desire to kill. It haunts my every step. But I've managed to get it under control. I am better now." Colbert stood his ground. He was not going to let these fiends have Louise.

The aforementioned pinkette was silently rooting for Jean. At least one of her teachers realized the error of their ways.

"Ironic considering you burned down that entire village on purpose." Osmond finally tired of standing took his seat and returned to smoking his pipe.

"BY YOUR ORDERS! THE ORDERS OF THE BROTHERHOOD!" Jean was frothing with rage. Osmond had the gall of blaming that entire incident on him?

Osmond looked surprised by Jeans outburst then laughed.

"You didn't know?" Osmond asked

"Know what?" Jean shimmered down, confusion replacing unfathomable rage.

"Your Speaker Edward Drake and the Albion sanctuary were compromised hence purification was warranted." Jean momentarily lowered his staff by an inch.

"I sent an emissary to you. He was to inform you of what happened and pardon you for killing the entire village instead of disposing of its mayor as it was originally stated by the person who enacted the black sacrament."

"What? But the brotherhood sent an assassin after me for daring to leave." It was Osmonds turn to be surprised. Both Jean and Osmond were finally relaxing, realizing what this meant.

"It seems this brotherhood was been compromised by conspiracy." Cicero stated what was on both men's minds.

"Well that's in the past now. It's true that the brotherhood is now in dire straits but now that we have our night mother and Joordaflr we can rebuild. " Osmond said eagerly .

"What makes you think this changes everything? I still won't let you take Valliere." Jean was not pointing his staff at the headmaster yet he was skilled enough to fire off a spell in a moment's notice.

"Come now Jean you know I can kill you with just a whisper. Besides you may not think it but the brotherhood has done a service to the community. After all most who call on us are impoverished and beleaguered victims who seek recompose."

"Or power hungry madmen willing to sink to any depths to attain what they want." Colbert added.

"Okay let's have a compromise. If Louise isn't our night mother and Cicero isn't Joordaflr then I'll let them go without a hassle. If they DO turn out to be the aforementioned figures then I'll keep them. Deal?"

Osmond stretched his hand, anticipating a handshake. Jean had half a mind of batting it away. He then looked out Louise who was deathly silent throughout the entire exchange.

"What would you do if you were the night mother?" Jean asked to the anxious teen.

Without missing a pace she immediately answered.

"I would try to change it from the inside." The conviction and determination in her voice almost convinced Jean but he was too jaded and cynical to believe a young girl could change a centuries old death cult , but it was better than getting himself and Louise killed in a battle against Cicero and Osmond.

"Deal." Jean finally grabbed the man's hand and gave a strong shake. Things were going to be interesting from now on.

* * *

-Three hours ago-

"All this time it was right under our noses." Jean said out loud, his voice echoing as it bounced against the cold, damp walls that were side by side in the long winding staircase leading downwards.

"Yes, quite devious isn't it? To be truthful I was exaggerating when I said the school was the sanctuary. It was actually just the Tristain academy of magic before I came and made some renovations in the tower of the void.

The school was surrounded by five towers that represented the elements. Four of those towers were connected to the main building while the tower of the void was cordoned, closed off.

Louise was holding tightly into Professor Colberts robe who was the only person she was able to trust so far. The headmaster who was holding a lantern that lit the way was at front while her familiar was admiring the shoddy stonework.

The headmaster than snuffed out the lantern light, Louise was hyperventilating as she did not feel comfortable walking in the darkness. But then a red malevolent light was shining, becoming brighter with each step before they finally managed to reach the bottom of the staircase.

It was a stone door. On it was an engraved skull which had a glowing hand print on its forehead. Below there was an engraving of woman who was holding a child in one hand while on the other was a dagger. The dagger was pointing downwards to four smaller figures that were holding their hands up in fear.

_"What is life's only justice?" _The door …. spoke. Dark and powerful magic was at work here.

"Murder, my brother." Osmond grinding of rock was deafening as the door opened by itself.

"_Welcome home."_

The first room that greeted them was a large barren chamber; the only thing of note was a tattered banner that had a purple handprint as heraldry and several lit torches. Both sides of the chamber had several hallways that lead to founder knows where.

Osmond took several steps forward and turned towards the left hallway. The other three followed suit. The hallway wasn't long. Louise noticed several doors on the sides of the doors and how all of them had padlocks.

'I don't want to know what's behind those doors.' Louise thought as she noticed dried blood stain on one of the doors.

The party of four then found themselves in what looked like a mess hall of some sort. Barrels were everywhere with pheasants, chicken and all matters of meat hanging from hooks. Shelf's covered with salt and other condiments were also found.

A humming, a tune which Cicero found quite recognizable was heard. All heads turned towards where it was loudest.

Behind the counter, sweeping was what looked like a maid. When she turned around all eyes were able to identify her. It was Siesta.

Louise eyes widened then she blushed deeply, Cicero just gave a devilish grin, Jean sighed deeply and Osmond just chuckled.

Meanwhile Siesta was first looking at them with a look of pure shock. Then she promptly turned a very bright shade of crimson and crouched, shiedling her body with the wooden counter. The girl felt embarrassed and was sputtering curses some of whom were aimed at Osmond.

"Siesta I see you're still wearing that, didn't I mention that was only your punishment for a month?" The old pervert said, talking about the apron the maid wore over her naked body.

"Well I found it to be quite comfortable actually." The maid whispered to her side.

"Would you kindly make for us something Siesta? I believe Miss Vallière and Sir Cicero didn't properly have lunch."

The girl quickly scuffled towards the door that leads to the kitchen, giving Osmond some private time with his potential new colleagues.

"Ah Sir Listener I almost forgot here your knife, well-crafted If I ever saw one." Cicero easily caught the knife as it sailed through the air. Ebony, it was sharp and robust never did he have problems with the material.

"Now let us discuss about what we shall do." Osmond steepled his fingers, he stared into Cicero and Louise, his cold eyes scanning them.

"It's obvious that Louise is our mother and you Cicero our listener, but until you provide the proving words to my Keeper then we cannot officially deem you our Listener."

"Your Keeper?" Cicero questioned.

"Me." Louise jerked in her seat as she heard Siesta pop out of nowhere. The girl had a manic glint in her eye and a cold yet dreadful grin plastered on her face, even with her wearing nothing but an apron and holding a tray of soup the maid still excluded an aura of fear. Louise would have been shivering if she wasn't already used to the mindless insanity that was Cicero. The fool himself felt a tugging in his chest.

'Not just another pretty face.' He thought idly, this girl, she was like him. Cicero saw it, this girl had potential.

It didn't last long; the girl resumed her bubbly self as she served soup to her guests and Osmond.

"My aren't you the fast one, don't tell me you're serving our guests left overs." Osmond quickly diverted his eyes when Siesta glared at him.

"I had some soup cooking before I got here. Who knew you being such a glutton would have come in handy."

"Pardon my interruption but Cicero was once and still is a keeper also. I already know the binding words."

"Which ones? We have thirty binding words; the words are different for every year of the void, when the children of Brimir manifest. I doubt the words you know are the same." Siesta explained.

"The only way you'll able to know the binding words is when someone enacts the black sacrament, which might be in a week, a month maybe even a year. So you'll have lots of time together. Now dig in Siesta makes the finest soups I've ever had the pleasure of tasting." The headmaster gestured to the bowls of broth that lay before them. Cicero happily slurped his in one go while Louise and Colbert warily waited for the fool to finish. Seeing as how Cicero was still alive one can logically deduce the soup was not poisoned and so both relented to their appetites and dug in.

Louise was staring both at Osmond and Siesta who was standing beside him. To think both would be assassins, truly you cannot judge a tome by its binding.

* * *

-Now-

She awoke cold and shivering. She sat up and rubbed her still bloodshot eyes. Just how many hours of did shes lumber ?

A strong breeze flew through her room, entering through an open window. Strange she thought, she was sure it had been shut tight. But considering recent events it wouldn't be too out of the ordinary for her to forget things.

She got up and closed the widow. Locking it and covering it with her curtains. It's been one tough night.

"_Éléonore de La Vallière." _The woman spun, her heart almost giving out due to fear. Standing behind her was a figure clad in a midnight black robe. His hood pulled up, his face an empty void, even though moonlight shined on him.

'A-a mage, he has to be if he's able to disguise himself so thorough.' Eleonore eyed the wand that was on her nightstand, right now she was vulnerable and right now this figure had the initiative.

"_You have called us." _Its voice was horrible, a mish mash of various people. Gruff, high, low, squeaky it was all of these things.

'Wind mage, it's a wind mage if it's able to change its voice so easily, triangle at best and square if I'm unlucky.' Then Eleonore realized what the thing was talking about, her heart for a moment stopped as she realized what this meant.

"_You have called, the brotherhood has answered." _No …. It can't be she had to be dreaming had to, yet this thing stood before her was both so real yet something so fantastical. If this was a dream then it was the most lucid dream she had ever had.

"Are you… are you truly from the void brotherhood?" The woman questioned even though she already knew the answer deep within her soul.

"_Yes, who is it that you wished killed?"_ Kill, she couldn't believe it. Here she was a conspirator in murder. No this was different, the person who brought this upon himself deserved justice, deserved retribution.

"The brother of the comte de Bourgogne." Her own voice wavered as she tried to intentionally avoid his name._  
_  
"_Say no more." _Osmond knew all that he needed. He raised his hands as he quietly chanted a wind spell. A gale of great strength forcefully opened the widow. Eleonore's long hair clouded her vision and once it and the wind settled. She saw nothing. The stranger disappeared.


	7. Side Chapter: Nox Imperium

She was afraid, she was alone. The last thing that she remembered was the warm comfort of her bed. Now she was floating here in an endless void. In front of her, behind her, above her and below her there was nothing but a shattered mosaic of red, black and purple. It was beautiful she had to admit but also terrifying. She felt like she was under water and no matter where she swam for lack of a better term the same mosaic of colors remained. She was trapped.

'Am I dreaming?' She said and thought at the same time. It seemed in this place her thoughts were not her own.

Then all of a sudden a cloud of vaporous black smoke appeared right in front of her, tendrils of red lightning striking Louise. She yelped in surprise, not in pain for the red lighting did not affect her in anyway. Sounds of thunderclaps and flash of lightning made it look like a storm cloud. If it wasn't for the unusual colouring of the lightning or the red baleful orbs that was emanating from it she wouldn't have been able to tell the difference.

"_My Mother._" Its voice was horrific, like the buzzing of insects mixed with the cries of lamenting women. The howls of wolves mixed with the death cries of men. The whistling gale of a fearsome storm mixed with the shrieks of tortured children. Louise's ears bled as if the the eldritch sound was so horrific, that her brain thought it fit that being deaf was preferable to processing another agonizing stream of sound.

"GO AWAY! I AM NO ONES MOTHER! GET AWAY FROM ME!" Louise covered her ears as tightly as she could and screamed. Her voice was like a puddle compared to the ocean of this thing.

"_Would you still reject me if I gave you power ? Let me show you your destiny!_" The thing continued talking, its words managing to bypass the hands that covered her ears. The rolling black thunder cloud then dispersed forwards and took hold of Louise within its vaporous clutches. Louise could only scream as her mind was being broken by the sounds of every form of suffering known to man.

* * *

She didn't stop screaming when the sounds stop, she didn't stop screaming when she felt the ground beneath her feet. It took her a few moments to realize she was no longer in darkness and a few more to reorient herself.

She was standing in what looked like a throne room one could find in a royal palace. It took her some time to realize she knew this particular room.

'The Tristain Palace?' Louise was perplexed by how she managed find herself but even more so by how different it looked.

Instead of the vibrant and optimistic atmosphere she was used to as a child, the air in the throne room of the Tristain palace was heavy, oppressive and dark. Banners that were supposed to fly the heraldry of the royal family were instead flying a hand print, a hand print that Louise was all too familiar with, much to her horror.

'The Void Brotherhood has managed to take over Tristain?' Before Louise was able to realize the gravity of such a thing, the doors that served as the throne room's entry flew open.

An old haggard woman was walking inside, flanked by two threatening figures wearing heavy black plate and brandishing wicked looking halberds.

"Welcome to my home." Louise turned, not realizing the throne was being occupied.

Sitting on the throne was her mother or someone who looked like her, on closer inspection the woman didn't look exactly like her mother but from a distance she would be an almost exact replica. She was slouching as she sat on the throne of Tristain giving off an aura of power and arrogance rather than an air of grace and poise that befitted any rightful ruler, the woman was wearing armor that resembled that of her guards and her pink hair was in a bun, a very embellished crown resting on her head, the crown different from the one Louise was accustomed to and dare Louise say it? It looked even more valuable than the old crown.

Next to the throne was a significantly older gent, he stood straight and had a regal nature that was lacking in the person Louise assumed was the new queen of Tristain. Yet his eyes, as Louise walked closer towards the pair she was hypnotized by the man's golden eyes.

'Cicero?'

"After so many years languishing in your dungeons, why let me out now?" The old woman asked.

"I wish to show you something." Her not mother replied, her voice not her mothers but yet similar in an unusual way.

The false queen stood up and walked to an entry way to her right, the man whose eyes were like Ciceros following diligently with the old women and the two guards moving next.

Louise immediately tagged along and tried to appraise the woman. She wasn't old, not in the physical sense. She actually looked around the same age as the false queen. It just seemed she was old because of a multitude of scares that blemished her face.

'She's been tortured." Louise noted with a frown.

She then took a look at the guards that flanked the prisoner.

Underneath all of that armor Louise was sure they were wearing normal pantaloons and doublets. Their heights and build far too tall and too bulky for them to be natural born Tristainians. Their helmets were smooth and pristine. In fact Louise wondered just how in the world were they able to breathe or see? It was completely flat with no holes what so ever.

'Are they golems?'

She noted the bloody hand print that tarnished their otherwise spotless smooth helms. Judging by what she knew of the Void Brotherhood Louise seriously doubted that they used red paint to make those hand prints.

They finally stooped in a moderately sized room. At its center was a large table, a map draped on its surface. They formed a circle around the table, one of the guards grabbed the tortured woman by the hair and moved her head so she could take a closer look.

Louise was too short and as she tried to find a gap within the circle she discovered she was transparent as she fell through the old woman and landed on the floor. When she got up her torso was just above the map with her legs nowhere to be found.

Louise ignored all of this and proceeded to examine the map. It was of Halkeginia. Entirely covered in red and on top of it were the words "Empire of Tristainia", Louise's eyes widened in alarm when she noticed the lands of the elves were included in the domains of this Empire.

The old woman was similarly shaken.

"When I heard you were crowning yourself empress I thought you had finally lost it like that fool in Germania."

"You were wrong. In just thirty years I managed to conquer the entirety of Halkeginia. I made the Germanian 'Emperor' kiss my feet. I razed Albion into the ground when they dared to form a second Reconquista. I made the Pope of Romalia beg for mercy as I disemboweled him and scattered his ashes into the winds. I showed the elves the true meeting of fear as I crushed their hopes and ravaged their lands."

"Was it because of him?" The old woman accusingly glared at the man with the golden eyes.

"Is it because of him you've become the monster you are now Louise?"

Louise felt her blood freeze in her veins and arteries. Her eyes focused on _herself_. The Empress merely smirked.

"Initially, but I soon discovered how fun it was in conquering and creating an empire."

"Why are you showing me this?"

"Remember that day Henrietta? You said 'the day you would call me Empress would be the day you would kill yourself'? I expect you to follow through with that promise." Empress Louise handed an older Henrietta a dagger. The intent clear.

At the midst of this Louise was simply staring in shock at what she had just seen.

'I-is this the future? Is this what I'll become?' Tears were already streaming down her cheeks when sweet sweet darkness claimed her once again.


End file.
